It’s with great sadness that we announce the passing of Richard Grégoire, on Dec. 11, 2025. Born in Montréal on May 18, 1944, he was one of the key architects of film and television music in Québec, and a towering figure in Canada’s screen music landscape. His work, deeply rooted in storytelling and emotion, helped elevate scoring film and TV into an art form in its own right. His passing is a significant loss for the cultural community.
Grégoire studied composition at the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Music under the mentorship of Serge Garant, whose avant-garde approach left a lasting mark on his career. He then continued his training in Paris with the Groupe de recherches musicales led by Pierre Schaeffer, where he was introduced to electro-acoustic music, and developed a distinctive sonic sensibility that blended formal discipline with a spirit of experimentation.
Upon returning to Québec in the early 1970s, he quickly made a name for himself as an arranger, orchestrator, and music director, lending his talents to a wide range of creative fields, including the performing arts, television, advertising, and record production. Always attuned to technological advances, he explored new forms of sonic expression, expanding the boundaries of contemporary music, and leaving a lasting impact on the next generations.
From the 1980s onward, Grégoire devoted himself primarily to screen music. He collaborated with several leading filmmakers and creators – including Yves Simoneau, Jean Beaudin, Charles Binamé, and Robert Ménard – and composed the scores for films and TV series that left a lasting mark on Québec’s cultural landscape, including Éclair au chocolat, Pouvoir intime, Cruising Bar, L’Enfant d’eau, Souvenirs intimes, and Léolo. With his keen sense of storytelling and atmosphere, he had a rare gift for infusing images with emotional depth.
Select the image to access the soundtrack to the TV series Les Filles de Caleb
Sur la scène télévisuelle, il connaît un succès populaire significatif grâce à la musique de la série Les Filles de Caleb, dont le thème a profondément marqué l’imaginaire collectif québécois et pour lequel il a remporté un Gémeau et un Félix.
In the realm of TV, he achieved major popular success with the music for the series Les Filles de Caleb, whose theme left a lasting impression on Québec’s collective imagination, and earned him both a Gémeaux and a Félix award.
Grégoire was widely recognized for his work throughout his prolific career:
He won the Genie Award for Best Original Score in 1992 for Being at Home with Claude, a testament to the emotional power of his composition.
He also received numerous nominations at the Genie Awards and the Jutra/Iris Awards, including for La Ligne de chaleur, L’Enfant d’eau, Le Cœur au poing, and Souvenirs intimes, and was presented with the Jutra-Hommage Award in 2004 for his outstanding contribution to Québec cinema.
He was honoured multiple times for his original scores and artistic excellence at the Gémeaux Awards and at galas such as the SOCAN Awards.
Beyond individual accolades, the impact of his work on Québec culture is also reflected in the Prix Richard-Grégoire, created in 2006 by the Fondation de la Société professionnelle des auteurs et compositeurs du Québec (SPACQ) to honour outstanding screen composers, thereby carrying his legacy forward in contemporary creation.
On Nov. 14, 2024, Grégoire received the very first Prix Montréal à l’image, sponsored by the SPACQ Foundation, in recognition of his lifetime achievements. The tribute was delivered by rising screen composer and Vice-Chair of the Board Anaïs Larocque, in a moving speech from which we share the following excerpt:
“It’s a tremendous honour for me to be standing here today to present the very first Prix Montréal à l’image, an award that represents not only professional recognition, but also, this year, the gratitude of a generation, of an era, and of a whole culture… I’m part of a generation that grew up listening to music like yours, melodies that were the soundtrack of my childhood and that, even today, bring back memories in just a few notes, like a time capsule… I also remember those precious moments when I watched Les Filles de Caleb with my mother. I never imagined I’d one day be standing here, telling you how much I love that theme and how it makes me feel nostalgic, not only for my childhood, but for a time I never even lived through, that now feels so far away.. That’s why, Richard, we decided you would be the first to receive this award. Not just to honour your body of work, but to pay tribute to the deep impact you’ve had on all of us – your peers. Your music is a true legacy, and it will continue to resonate in the hearts of generations to come.”
Screen composer and 2025 recipient of the Prix Montréal à l’image, Michel Corriveau, also wanted to pay tribute to Richard Grégoire: “Our community has just lost a giant. To me, Richard Grégoire was not only an immensely talented composer and orchestrator, but also a creative role model who was one of us, and who united us. When I worked on the first season of Les Pays d’en haut, he was the first to write me a note telling me how much he appreciated my musical approach. Coming from the composer of Les Filles de Caleb, that message meant the world to me, and gave me the confidence to keep going. Thank you, Richard. I hope I’ll have the privilege of meeting many more people like you.”
A truly gifted composer, arranger, and orchestrator, Richard Grégoire created sonic worlds that transcended the screen and touched the hearts of audiences. His work, marked by rare depth and sensitivity, will remain a source of inspiration and a guiding light for artists in Québec and around the world.
To his family, his loved ones, and all those who were moved by his music, SOCAN offers its heartfelt condolences.